Michael Kenwood '94 died last Sunday during the attempted rescue of a submerged car that may have contained a trapped driver in Princeton, N.J.

When Kenwood was a student at the University, he volunteered for the Brandeis Emergency Medical Corps and served as its director for 3 semesters, from spring 1993 through his graduation the following year, according to a BrandeisNOW press release.

Kenwood was part of a group from Princeton Swiftwater Rescue Team that responded to a report of a submerged car that potentially had a person trapped inside at 4 a.m. on Aug. 28. Kenwood entered the water tied to another rescuer on a line that was held by other rescuers farther away. When either Kenwood or his partner fell, the line snapped. The car was later found to be empty, according to The Times of Trenton.

Kenwood's mother, Sheila Kenwood Lobel, told The New York Times that her son "was doing what he was trained to do, and what he loved."

One of the primary sources of Kenwood's enthusiasm for rescue work was a May 1990 car crash just before his first year of college. According to a BrandeisNOW press release, when he ran for BEMCo director, Kenwood wrote a letter to the organization's members about the crash: "I will never forget the feeling of fear and helplessness that swept over me as I looked from my two friends, one of whom was unconscious, to the hysterical driver of the other car, to my right wrist, which was deeply lacerated and bleeding heavily," he recalled. "I swore to myself that if I lived, I would learn the skills to care for myself and others should another medical emergency ever confront me again."

Kenwood also wrote about his time as a member of BEMCo. "Being a member of BEMCo has been highly significant for me," he noted. "From the most basic medical perspective, it's given me the chance to apply and to share my skills as an EMT. Beyond that, I've met some wonderfully talented and dedicated people. Finally, it's given me countless opportunities to grow as an individual."?

Paul Schneider '12, the current director of BEMCo, said in an interview with the Justice, "It was just really shocking, to be honest. It's always a tragedy when somebody dies in the line of duty."

In an interview with the Justice, Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan praised Kenwood as a "a very dedicated student and BEMCo person."